The Lady, or the Tigermon?
by Alias
Summary: The story The Lady, or the Tiger? Characters are changed and the words are rewritten to make it understandible to modern audiences. *Takari*


The Lady, or the Tigermon?  
By Alias  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, and I don't own 'The Lady, or the Tiger?'. Frank R. Stockton wrote it.  
  
This is the story, 'The Lady, or the Tiger?' but words are changed to make it more understandable. If you would like to read the actually story, word for word, it is here- http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Frank_R_Stockton/The_Lady_or_the_Tiger/  
  
Hikari is the princess, Takeru is her love, Taichi is the king, Yolei is the woman. This took a lot of work for me to make this less confusing, because half of the words make absolutely no sense. This is a good introduction to the story, because after reading this and getting the jist of the words, reading the original is much easier. Even if you have not or will not read The Lady or the Tiger, this is an enjoyable story. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
~~~~  
  
Once upon a time there lived a semi-barbaric king named Taichi Kamiya. His ideas were refined by his distant Latin neighbors, but he still had large, florid ideas that made his barbaric half. He had such an irresistible reign that anything he wanted he would get. He would converse with himself when needing to make decisions, and as soon as he agreed with himself on something, it would be done. When everything ran smoothly, the king would be bland and genial. But if there was one hitch in the system, one minor problem, he would become blander and even more genial.  
  
Nothing pleased Tai so much as order and discipline.  
  
In one of the places that the king's barbarism had collected was the public arena, in which exhibitions were held of manly and beastly valor. The minds of his subjects were refined and cultured through his arena.  
  
Even in the arena Tai's rule asserted himself. The king built the arena not to give the people the sight and sound of dying gladiators and hungry jaws, but to widen and develop the mental energies of his people. The vast arena, with the surrounding seats, mysterious vaults and unseen passageways, was an example of perfect poetic justice. Crime was punished or virtue rewarded strictly by unbiased chance.  
  
When a subject was accused of a crime that was important enough to catch the king's attention, the accused fate would be decided in the arena. Although the arena's plan and form were borrowed from far off lands, it's purpose came solely from the brain of man,  
  
When all the people gathered in the their seats, and the king with his court sat on his throne, the king gave a signal. A door beneath him opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the ring. In front of the accused, lie two doors, side by side. It was the duty and privilege of the person to walk up to one of the doors. The accused could open either door, receiving no help. If he opened one, out would come a hungry tiger, the fiercest and cruelest of the land, and the tiger would immediately spring upon the man and punished him for his guilt. Then the trial would be over, and the late prisoner would be deemed guilty. And the townspeople would lower their heads and they would mourn the poor man's death.  
  
If the accused would open the other door, out came a lady, that of the most suited to his ever taste. To this lady the man would immediately be married as a reward for his innocence. It did not matter that the man could have a wife and children already, or that the man may be in love with another, the king would allow nothing to interfere with his plan of justice. The marriage would take place immediately in the arena. Another door would open and out would come a priest and a group of musicians. The group would advance to the couple and the wedding was done. The crowd let out a cheer and the marriage was celebrated.  
  
This was the king's idea of justice. It had perfect fairness that was obvious. The criminal could not know which door held which fate, and the man alone made the decision, not knowing if he was to be married or killed. On some occasions the tiger would come out of one door, on other occasions the other. The decision was not only fair, it was permanent. The accused was instantly punished, the innocent were instantly rewarded. There was no escape from the judgment of the king's arena.  
  
This institution was not very popular. When the people gathered, they did not know if they were to witness a bloody murder or a joyous wedding. The element of uncertainty gave an interest to the arena that could not be attained any other way. And so the masses were entertained and very pleased, and the thinking part of the community could not call the plan unfair, for the whole situation was in the accused person's hands.  
  
The king had a very beautiful daughter named Hikari, with a soul as complex as the king's own. As usual for family situations, the king's daughter was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all else. Among her admirers was a young man with fine blood and low station named Takeru Takaishi, an almost cliché hero among romance. The king's daughter was well satisfied with Takeru, because he was handsome and braver than most in the whole kingdom. She loved him with an ardor that had just enough barbarism to make it exceedingly warm and strong. The affair continued for several months, until Tai found out about it. He did not waver or hesitate in his decision to try the man in his arena. But for this occasion, all of the people in the kingdom were especially concerned with its outcome. Never before had a case of such importance to the kingdom occurred. No subject had ever tried to love the king's daughter. In the years after this trial such cases became more common, but they paled in comparison to the importance of this particular trial.  
  
The tiger population of the kingdom was searched for the most savage beast, which was to be selected for the arena. Also, the women population was searched for the most fair and most fitting to the man if he wouldn't meet another fate. Of course, everyone knew what Takeru had done, he had loved the princess, and neither he nor she thought of trying to deny that, but the king would not allow anything to interfere with his decision. No matter how young Takeru would choose, the affair with Hikari would be finished. In this fact Tai took great satisfaction. The question that would be answered in the arena would be if Takeru was right in loving Hikari.  
  
The appointed day had arrived. From all over the kingdom the people gathered, and filled the great balconies of the arena. And outside, crowds that were not allowed in formed around the outside walls. The king and his court were assembled opposite the two fateful doors, so eerie in their similarity.  
  
All was ready. Tai gave the signal and Takeru was released from the door beneath the king. Tall, beautiful, fair, Takeru's appearance was greeted with admiration from the crowds. Most of the audience had never seen so grand a youth. No wonder the princess had loved him! What a terrible thing for such a man to be there!  
  
As the youth advanced into the arena he turned to Tai. The tradition was to bow to the king, but Takeru would not. His eyes saw only the princess, who sat to the right of her father. Hikari might not have even arrived, but the intensity of her soul would not allow her to be absent from the occasion in which she was so interested. From the moment Takeru's future had been narrowed to two possible choices, Hikari had not thought of another thing. She had more power than anyone else involved with this case, for she knew the secret of the doors. She knew from which door sprang the tiger, and from which door emerged the lady. Through the think doors, coated with skins on the inside and outside, it was impossible to know which door held what to the person who approached them. But gold, and the power of Hikari's will, had brought the answer to the princess.  
  
Not only did Hikari know one door from the other, she knew who the woman would be. It was one of the fairest and loveliest women in the court who had been selected to be Takeru's reward for innocence. The princess hated this woman, Yolei. Often Hikari had seen Yolei throw glances of admiration at Takeru. Or at least the princess had thought that. Sometimes Hikari thought that Takeru had perceived the glances, and on some occasions the princess had thought these gestured had been returned. Now and then Hikari had even seen them talking together. It might have been just for a minute or two, but much can be said in such a short time. The talks may have been on unimportant topics, but could Hikari really be sure? The young Yolei may be lovely, but she had dared raise her eyebrows at the one that loved the princess. And with all the intensity and savagery of her blood, she hated the woman who blushed behind the door.  
  
When Takeru turned and looked at Hikari, his eyes met hers and sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the whole ocean of faces around the princess. And Takeru saw, by the power of quick perception, that Hikari knew which door held what fate. Takeru had expected her to know. He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she wouldn't rest until she had controlled the outcome of this important event. The only hope Takeru had in which there was any measure of certainty was based upon the princess discovering the mystery. He saw she had succeeded, and in his soul he had known she would succeed.  
  
Then it was his glance that asked the question: "Which?" It was as plainly read to Hikari as if he had shouted it from the arena floor. There was not an instant she hesitated. The question was given quickly, and in turn, so should the answer.  
  
Hikari's right arm lay on the cushioned parapet before her. She raised her right hand and made a slight, quick movement toward the right. No one but Takeru could have ever saw. Every eye in the arena was fixed upon the man.  
  
He turned, and with assurance he walked across the empty arena. Every heart in the balconies stopped beating, all breath was held, and every eye was fixed upon Takeru. Without even the slightest hesitation, he stepped to the right door. . . and opened it.  
  
  



End file.
